SINGAPORE- Middle East crude benchmarks Oman and Dubai slumped on Tuesday amid lacklustre demand in the final week of 2021.
Unipec will deliver a February-loading Oman crude cargo to Total after deals on the Platts window.
India's MRPL issued a tender seeking 1 million barrels of crude for March arrival. The tender closes on Jan. 6.
REFINERY
Exxon Mobil Corp on Monday said that its Baytown refinery in Texas continued to operate at reduced rates after a fire on Dec. 23 and the unit involved remained shut down.
NEWS
Indonesia's state-owned energy company Pertamina will stop selling 88-octane gasoline next year and phase out 90-octane gasoline in an effort to steer consumers towards cleaner fuels, its chief executive was reported by media as saying.
Japan's industry ministry on Monday said it will hold an auction on Feb. 9 to sell about 100,000 kilolitres, or 628,980 barrels, of crude oil from its national reserve as a part of a U.S.-led coordinated release of oil reserve to cool rising prices.
Japan's crude oil imports rose to 2.81 million barrels per day (13.39 million kilolitres) in November, up 21.8% from a year earlier, marking a fourth straight month of gains, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said on Tuesday.
Venezuela this year almost doubled its oil production from last year as its state-owned company struck deals that let it pump and process more extra heavy crude into exportable grades.
Indirect talks between Iran and the United States on salvaging the 2015 Iran nuclear deal resumed on Monday with Tehran focused on one side of the original bargain, lifting sanctions against it, despite scant progress on reining in its nuclear activities.
(Reporting by Florence Tan Editing by David Goodman ) ((Florence.Tan@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: florence.tan.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
